Obama's Call To King Hamad Last Night

Was it the turning point? I guess we'll find out soon enough. If so, Obama's outreach to Shiite Muslim democrats could be transformative in the Middle East. Kristof:

There’s no hint of anti-Americanism out there, and people treated American journalists as heroes because we reflect values of a free press that they aspire to achieve for their country.

In fact, when was the last time you saw frenzied crowds in the streets in several Muslim Arab countries where the American flag wasn't being burned? We finally figured out how to help democracy in the Arab world: get out of the way and nudge quietly from a distance.

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